Monaco taking sport to heart

Not everyone may be keen to get married underwater like the world champion free diver Pierre Frolla. Not all will be persuaded by the stunning landscape to paraglide off the top of Roquebrune Cap Martin, but these activities and many more are a daily possibility in Monaco, where all manner of sports are part of the DNA of the Principality. Monaco has become a centre for international sports and is the home of choice for many fans of sport and international sporting personalities.

And what a range of international events Monaco has to offer both residents and visitors. Here are just a few highlights in the sporting calendar:

This year there is much excitement around rowing as Monaco will host of the prestigious 2016 World Rowing Coastal Championships, taking place 21 to 23 October 2016

Whilst Monaco is a centre for all sorts of sporting activities it is probably best renowned for motor sports thanks to the Monaco Automobile Club

The action starts in January when the Monte Carlo Rally showcases some amazing driving through the alps. Cars driven on
the roads between 1955 and 1977 take part in the Monte Carlo Historic Rally. All the stages of this rally call for precision and regularity

The Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix needs no introduction. Every year, for four days in May, the eyes of the world turn to the Principality to witness its transformation, from a town to a racetrack.

Every 2 years Monaco hosts the Monaco e-Prix, an event for super high performance electric cars. The event is held in May just 2 weeks before the famed Formula 1 edition, and takes place on the same circuit as the Formula 1 Grand Prix (next e-prix takes place in May 2017).

A trip back to the golden age of motor racing, the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, is held every other year in May, on the very same circuit, with cars built between 1934 and 1979. The smell of paraffin wax, leather helmets, polished chromes, the race is always a splendid show!

The Monte Carlo Tennis Masters Series started back in 1897. Very year in April, the best players in the world come to serve, lob, smash, and use their best shots on the Central Court and the Princes' Court of the Monte-Carlo Country Club. A bouncing display!

Swimmers from around the world come together every June in Monaco to participate in the International Swimming Meeting, one of the stages in the "Mare Nostrum" Trophy.

Herculis is now rated the 2nd most important international athletics meeting of the year and thousands of spectators come to witness the performances of athletes from around the world. In the Louis II Stadium, the athletes compete in the heat of mid-July.

The Louis II Stadium is a regular venue for international football matches, Monaco’s much loved football team, the Monaco AS has been playing the best teams in the world since 1924.